National survey to track mental health of young Australians

New national survey to track mental health among young Australians: Curtin University has been awarded $8.1 million by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care to conduct Australia’s third National Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.

The landmark ‘Young Minds: Our Future’ survey, to be delivered in partnership with The University of Queensland and led by Professor David Lawrence from Curtin University’s School of Population Health, aims to update national rates of mental disorders among Australian children and adolescents.

Building on the insights from previous surveys, the study will involve face-to-face interviews with 6,500 primary carers of Australian children aged between four and 17 years and invite young people aged 11 to 17 years to complete a questionnaire.

Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, the Hon Emma McBride, said a better understanding of child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing will shape more tailored mental health services to meet their needs.

“This research will also help health professionals and families to better understand the factors that contribute to mental ill-health in children and adolescents,” Assistant Minister McBride said.

“The Australian Government is committed to improving the mental health and wellbeing of all Australians, and to do this we must begin by supporting our children and young people to thrive.” Professor Lawrence led the previous nationwide survey ‘Young Minds Matter’, conducted through The Kids Research Institute Australia in 2013, and said this fresh study provides a vital opportunity to track changes in mental health trends over the past decade.

“The last survey revealed one in seven Australians aged four to 17 years had a mental disorder, with only 56 per cent having received help in the year prior to the survey,” Professor Lawrence said.

“A lot has changed in Australia since 2013. Shifts in educational expectations, the economy, future job security, the impact of the pandemic and the influence of social media have all heightened the pressures faced by children, adolescents and their families. Demand for mental health support has increased and many services are struggling to keep up.

“This third study, to be conducted by some of Australia’s leading experts in mental health epidemiology, will further our understanding of what children and families need to ensure our young people can develop into flourishing adults.

“Understanding the mental health and wellbeing of our children and young people is crucial for planning and delivering the next generation of mental health services and supports.”

Key objectives of the survey:

• Update the prevalence rates of mental disorders among children and adolescents.
• Identify potential early signs of developing mental health disorders.
• Assess how mental health symptoms and disorders affect quality of life.
• Establish rates of suicidality and self-harm.
• Examine changes in help-seeking behaviours and service use since the last survey.
• Investigate the impact of educational environments on student mental health.

Fieldwork and data collection for the survey will be conducted by Roy Morgan Research between 2025 and 2026 with the findings expected to be delivered in 2027.

STUDY INFORMATION

Who is eligible to participate?
Participation is open to all Australian children currently in year six and their parents/carers.

What is required?
• Children will be asked to undertake online or in-person language and reading tasks and a survey.
• Parents/carers will be asked to complete a survey.
• Children will receive a gift voucher as a thank you.
• Parents/carers will receive a non-diagnostic report of their child’s performance on the tasks.
• The research team will follow-up with participants when they are in year seven to see how the transition to high school has gone.

When is it happening?
Expressions of interest to participate are open now.

How do people apply?
To register to participate in the study or for more information please email lalyp@curtin.edu.au or complete the Expression of Interest form available here.

Social determinants of mental health among children with language difficulties: Identifying intervention targets to prevent mental disorders is led by Curtin University with collaborators from University of Melbourne, University of Tasmania and the Black Dog Institute of New South Wales with funding from the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund’s (MRFF) Million Minds Mental Health Research Mission.